We here at top 6 only want to put out the best quality lists for our faithful readers (mainly ourselves). Many people probably don't realize what that means. Not only does it entail spending hours dreaming up the glory that you see posted on our page, it also means that we have to scrap a lot ideas that just don't cut it. Here's a list of 6 topics that never made it onto their own list of 6.
6. Top 6 Surprisingly Sexual Parts of the Human Body
This would have been a good one, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that pretty much every part of the body has already been sexified. If you can give me one that hasn't, then you can start your own list with it.
5. Top 6 Lego Pieces
We could rank them, but we all know that the real fun happens when they all work together.
4. Top 6 Things I Did Today
I don't presume that any six things I do in any given day is worth reading about. Maybe six things in my life. Maybe.
3. Top 6 Numbers on a Die
It all depends on what you need to get that Yhatzee.
2. Top 6
The title was too ambiguous.
1. Top 6 Cats Named George
This was going to be a fun one, but it would be hard to distinguish between them, seeing as how they are all cats and all named George.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
2008:Top 6
6. The Monthly Mixes. (See number one)
5. The Summer. First summer in B.C., Michelle's wedding, a 6 month celebration, skim boarding, golf carts, a fabulous summer job and a million other things that made it great.
4. The Family Times.
3. The Unexpecteds. ie: surprises like Cirque du Soleil, mint green shoes, spontaneous trips to Westport, Crystal Castles concert, those northern lights the camera I've been dreaming of...
2. The Spanish. Four months of things like milking a cow in Nicaragua, swimming with sting rays in Costa Rica and dancing in the streets of Habana, Cuba with people I will likely never see again and never forget.
1. The Love. (See two posts down)
5. The Summer. First summer in B.C., Michelle's wedding, a 6 month celebration, skim boarding, golf carts, a fabulous summer job and a million other things that made it great.
4. The Family Times.
3. The Unexpecteds. ie: surprises like Cirque du Soleil, mint green shoes, spontaneous trips to Westport, Crystal Castles concert, those northern lights the camera I've been dreaming of...
2. The Spanish. Four months of things like milking a cow in Nicaragua, swimming with sting rays in Costa Rica and dancing in the streets of Habana, Cuba with people I will likely never see again and never forget.
1. The Love. (See two posts down)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Top 6 Moments of 2008
6) Man Sailing Trip- So the story goes me and 4 very good friends of mine got payed by Camp Homewood to go on a sailing trip in February. If we didn't have the connections, we would usually have to pay between $1200-$1500 for the course but instaed we payed $60 for the course. The week went as follows. Sail during the days, study for a bit, hit up an obscure pub at night and talk about the day and enjoy the elite company we were in. Best of all, at the end, we all became certified skippers and I passed with a score of 91%. Great week with great guys and extremely useful for the rest of my ife.
5) Moving to Victoria- I dont know if I would call this a great memory and experience but it has been crucial none the less. I decided to come back and face my fear of coming back and going to school in Victoria. Im not saying its perfect, there is still a long way to go and I dont know if Im going to even be here next year but I took a leap of faith and am still living here. Thats an accomplishment by itself.
4) Growing a Pair- So this one is more of a ridicolous personal victory but Ive always have had problems sealing the deals with the lady folks. Finally this summer I had the guts to talk to a girl and tell her, "Hey, I dig your style, lets go on a date." Not excactly those words but the same idea. Unfortunately it didnt last too long, maybe a goal for 2009 is to step past growing a pair and step into maintaning "the pair" for more than 2 months. However, I did have the guts to do something about it to which Im very proud.
3) California Trip- This trip was fantastic on so many levels. First of all the people were fantastic once again. 4 rad people who were all chill and we all got along super well and all had the same goals for the trip. The adventure of driving for 24hrs straight and being super tired but enjoying it none the less. We hit up San Francisco and LA and we saw so many great sights. We stayed in sketchy hostels and we also ate for about $4 a day. It wasnt healthy but it was delicious. I think the best memory was being in Disneyland and being 20yrs old with your friends. I cant really describe it but it was so fun and hilarious. So many random memories I sont have the energy to write but it was a great trip I wont soon forget and another is possibly in the works.
2) Being CIT Leader- This summer for 2 months I was the leader of 10 guys aged 14-16. I worked with them everyday and shared so many good moments with them. It was a real chance to pour into their lives and share wisdom and knowledge with them. Even though it feels like I could have done a better job I really believe that God spoke into their lives. These 2 months were also full of challenges working with different personalities and people made it even more rewarding when it was done. I really believe this experience has confirmed my plans for the future.
1) The Beartooth Man Trip- This trip is where I became a real man. 3 good friends and I planned a trip to climb a 6,000ft mountain 30km up Powell Lake. The canoe trip was epic in itself with the 2nd day being pounding rain and me and my friend nearly getting swamped in high winds and possibly drowning. Once we got to camp we immediately started heading up to our base amp about 1500ft up to the snow line. The next day we departed very early and tried to find a route up the mountain. We tried steep routes and dangerous terrains to no luck. However we couldnt find it with over 10ft of snow in all directions. After witnessing avalanches close to us I realized how insinifigant we are compared to nature. After feeling defeated we hiked back down and I then spent the worst night of my life at the bottom. Rain poured for 15hrs straight and I went into my hammock at 7pm and didnt get out till 7am. However I did get out to fix my fly that flew open at 4am. Though we didn't succed I felt so close to nature and the guys who I was with. We all agreed at New Years it wasnt always the funnest but that night at the bottom was our top moment of 2008.
5) Moving to Victoria- I dont know if I would call this a great memory and experience but it has been crucial none the less. I decided to come back and face my fear of coming back and going to school in Victoria. Im not saying its perfect, there is still a long way to go and I dont know if Im going to even be here next year but I took a leap of faith and am still living here. Thats an accomplishment by itself.
4) Growing a Pair- So this one is more of a ridicolous personal victory but Ive always have had problems sealing the deals with the lady folks. Finally this summer I had the guts to talk to a girl and tell her, "Hey, I dig your style, lets go on a date." Not excactly those words but the same idea. Unfortunately it didnt last too long, maybe a goal for 2009 is to step past growing a pair and step into maintaning "the pair" for more than 2 months. However, I did have the guts to do something about it to which Im very proud.
3) California Trip- This trip was fantastic on so many levels. First of all the people were fantastic once again. 4 rad people who were all chill and we all got along super well and all had the same goals for the trip. The adventure of driving for 24hrs straight and being super tired but enjoying it none the less. We hit up San Francisco and LA and we saw so many great sights. We stayed in sketchy hostels and we also ate for about $4 a day. It wasnt healthy but it was delicious. I think the best memory was being in Disneyland and being 20yrs old with your friends. I cant really describe it but it was so fun and hilarious. So many random memories I sont have the energy to write but it was a great trip I wont soon forget and another is possibly in the works.
2) Being CIT Leader- This summer for 2 months I was the leader of 10 guys aged 14-16. I worked with them everyday and shared so many good moments with them. It was a real chance to pour into their lives and share wisdom and knowledge with them. Even though it feels like I could have done a better job I really believe that God spoke into their lives. These 2 months were also full of challenges working with different personalities and people made it even more rewarding when it was done. I really believe this experience has confirmed my plans for the future.
1) The Beartooth Man Trip- This trip is where I became a real man. 3 good friends and I planned a trip to climb a 6,000ft mountain 30km up Powell Lake. The canoe trip was epic in itself with the 2nd day being pounding rain and me and my friend nearly getting swamped in high winds and possibly drowning. Once we got to camp we immediately started heading up to our base amp about 1500ft up to the snow line. The next day we departed very early and tried to find a route up the mountain. We tried steep routes and dangerous terrains to no luck. However we couldnt find it with over 10ft of snow in all directions. After witnessing avalanches close to us I realized how insinifigant we are compared to nature. After feeling defeated we hiked back down and I then spent the worst night of my life at the bottom. Rain poured for 15hrs straight and I went into my hammock at 7pm and didnt get out till 7am. However I did get out to fix my fly that flew open at 4am. Though we didn't succed I felt so close to nature and the guys who I was with. We all agreed at New Years it wasnt always the funnest but that night at the bottom was our top moment of 2008.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
2008: The Top 6
6. The Senior Art Show - I was asked to be a guest artist at the Senior Show last spring. I took it as an opportunity to experiment with different media, and hung site-specific light-box installations in the underground parking lot. Recently it was featured on the back cover of the university alumni magazine. I felt honored to be a part of such a great show that saw almost 2,000 people visit.
5. The Music - music and I got along really well in 2008. The vinyl collection expanded greatly, a life goal of seeing Radiohead was fulfilled, and I started to write concert reviews for Beyond Robson, so I get to go to shows for free now! Top shows include Radiohead, Fleet Foxes x2, Cut Copy/The Presets, and Yelle.
4. The Traditions - Canim Lake holds so many memories, and my 7th time there was as good as ever. I made a foam surfboard, shot guns, and gutted a fish. There is no place like Canim to make you feel like a true Canadian.
3. The Close Calls - Bethany and I drove to Alberta for a wedding. We rode bicycles in fields, stopped for wildlife, and unexpectedly saw the northern lights when we made a wrong turn. I can't believe I almost didn't go.
2. The Travels - The latter part of my summer was spent on a trip to Colombia and Peru. Traveling is always amazing, but to do it with my Dad was extra special (especially when he is fluent in Spanish).
1. The Love
5. The Music - music and I got along really well in 2008. The vinyl collection expanded greatly, a life goal of seeing Radiohead was fulfilled, and I started to write concert reviews for Beyond Robson, so I get to go to shows for free now! Top shows include Radiohead, Fleet Foxes x2, Cut Copy/The Presets, and Yelle.
4. The Traditions - Canim Lake holds so many memories, and my 7th time there was as good as ever. I made a foam surfboard, shot guns, and gutted a fish. There is no place like Canim to make you feel like a true Canadian.
3. The Close Calls - Bethany and I drove to Alberta for a wedding. We rode bicycles in fields, stopped for wildlife, and unexpectedly saw the northern lights when we made a wrong turn. I can't believe I almost didn't go.
2. The Travels - The latter part of my summer was spent on a trip to Colombia and Peru. Traveling is always amazing, but to do it with my Dad was extra special (especially when he is fluent in Spanish).
1. The Love
Monday, January 5, 2009
Top 6 Experiences of 2008
I haven't thought too much about the order of this but I believe it's an accurate summary of 2008's highs (and, connected with them, lows). This past year will go down in history as a landmark for me. In the form of Stop Six, I shall explain.
6. The Downtime - After finishing a glory semester at a school on a hill, I decided to take some time off. I was able to disguise it as just part of the program I had taken (and at first, that was the reason) but really it was so I could have time to think. I also watched a lot of Lost. And I did a lot of writing. But most importantly, this downtime taught me how much I hate downtime. Don't get me wrong - I understand the need to relax as much as anyone. Yet I used to think that I would be happiest with nothing to do but to sit back and enjoy life with friends. That's not true. I need challenge. I need goals. Fortunately, the rest of my experiences of this past year set me up for those.
5. The Creation of Stop Six - Silly, I know. It's not that Stop Six itself is that meaningful to me. Rather, it's the fact that I have an outlet of writing. Most of my ventures in writing (like during the downtime) were far too serious. I'm a person who always needs to have a venue to express himself through writing. I would try to write the greatest composition known to man. Needless to say, it sucked the fun out of the experience. Stop Six has taught me that it's not how good you write, it's how much you enjoy writing it.
4. The Dynamic Duo - I went to my friend's cabin again this summer. Usually, I go up with a group of four or more of my other friends. This time, it was just me and said friend. I was worried that it would make for a fairly boring time, but it proved to be quite the opposite. I had more time to just chill, I didn't have to share all the fun stuff with other people and I bonded well with the one friend. And there were girls.
3. The Haters and Lovers - I had a terrible job this summer. I got no respect, shifts, or money. I wrote an angry Stop Six entry about it (one that I believe will go down in Stop Six history). It was not a good experience at all. In the limited sense at least. What this prompted was one of the best experiences of my year. It was ironic that the job that I wanted for so long was easily one of the worst I ever had. It led me to re-evaluate what exactly I wanted in life, and to see that things are rarely as you hope them to be. I quit that job and moved on to what was the best job I ever had. Why was it so good? Because I got everything that was missing - I got respect, shifts, money, and in the words of my manager - love.
2. The End of An Era - I'm not planning on going back to that school on the hill. I had many reasons to leave and not return through my years there. None of those were good, however. But the one I've left on is very, very good. And my memories from that school are equally good. Much of my past few years of life were defined by that school, and my last few weeks there were the perfect ending for it. It was like your favorite TV show coming to an end - so many great times, but to keep it going would just be an injustice. It was time for it to end, and the season finale was fantastic.
1. New Life, New Direction - Tomorrow I will officially begin at my old/new school. I used to get most excited for the video games I would get at Christmas, or seeing a pretty girl the next day at school. Now my child-like excitement is directed towards a new career path. I never thought that would be possible. The above-listed experiences all played a role in my discovery of what it was I wanted to do with my life. This is my challenge. This is my goal. Few things feel this good.
Good plot twists are not changes. They are a revelation of the unexpected direction the story was heading all along. This year, my life saw many a good plot twist.
6. The Downtime - After finishing a glory semester at a school on a hill, I decided to take some time off. I was able to disguise it as just part of the program I had taken (and at first, that was the reason) but really it was so I could have time to think. I also watched a lot of Lost. And I did a lot of writing. But most importantly, this downtime taught me how much I hate downtime. Don't get me wrong - I understand the need to relax as much as anyone. Yet I used to think that I would be happiest with nothing to do but to sit back and enjoy life with friends. That's not true. I need challenge. I need goals. Fortunately, the rest of my experiences of this past year set me up for those.
5. The Creation of Stop Six - Silly, I know. It's not that Stop Six itself is that meaningful to me. Rather, it's the fact that I have an outlet of writing. Most of my ventures in writing (like during the downtime) were far too serious. I'm a person who always needs to have a venue to express himself through writing. I would try to write the greatest composition known to man. Needless to say, it sucked the fun out of the experience. Stop Six has taught me that it's not how good you write, it's how much you enjoy writing it.
4. The Dynamic Duo - I went to my friend's cabin again this summer. Usually, I go up with a group of four or more of my other friends. This time, it was just me and said friend. I was worried that it would make for a fairly boring time, but it proved to be quite the opposite. I had more time to just chill, I didn't have to share all the fun stuff with other people and I bonded well with the one friend. And there were girls.
3. The Haters and Lovers - I had a terrible job this summer. I got no respect, shifts, or money. I wrote an angry Stop Six entry about it (one that I believe will go down in Stop Six history). It was not a good experience at all. In the limited sense at least. What this prompted was one of the best experiences of my year. It was ironic that the job that I wanted for so long was easily one of the worst I ever had. It led me to re-evaluate what exactly I wanted in life, and to see that things are rarely as you hope them to be. I quit that job and moved on to what was the best job I ever had. Why was it so good? Because I got everything that was missing - I got respect, shifts, money, and in the words of my manager - love.
2. The End of An Era - I'm not planning on going back to that school on the hill. I had many reasons to leave and not return through my years there. None of those were good, however. But the one I've left on is very, very good. And my memories from that school are equally good. Much of my past few years of life were defined by that school, and my last few weeks there were the perfect ending for it. It was like your favorite TV show coming to an end - so many great times, but to keep it going would just be an injustice. It was time for it to end, and the season finale was fantastic.
1. New Life, New Direction - Tomorrow I will officially begin at my old/new school. I used to get most excited for the video games I would get at Christmas, or seeing a pretty girl the next day at school. Now my child-like excitement is directed towards a new career path. I never thought that would be possible. The above-listed experiences all played a role in my discovery of what it was I wanted to do with my life. This is my challenge. This is my goal. Few things feel this good.
Good plot twists are not changes. They are a revelation of the unexpected direction the story was heading all along. This year, my life saw many a good plot twist.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Top 6 Albums I Discovered In 2008
6. People In Planes - As Far As The Eye Can See
I'm not fully sure that I first discovered this album in 2008. Even if it was 2007, it was probably close enough to still count. A very memorable rock album that mixes the tried, tested and true with some things I can't quite put my finger on.
5. Radiohead - Kid A
This past summer, I wrote a blog on my Radiohead experiment. The results found OK Computer as their best album. I've changed my mind. Kid A embodies Radiohead better than any other album. Also, I've come to accept that fact that I will never fully understand why Radiohead is the greatest band ever. Unrivaled in musicianship and ingenuity, that's for sure. But they're pushed more to the top because the latter attribute is also what our society holds as the highest virtue.
4. Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards
I went to see the Killers a few weeks ago, and was struck with the most pleasant of surprises - Cold War Kids were also on the bill. Even more surprising was that they looked nothing like the odd-ball rockers I had them pegged for. They were all fairly clean-cut young men, with the lead singer looking like Conan O'Brien. That's always a good thing. And of course the show was awesome, because Cold War Kids does what music is all about - they write, and play good songs. I guess this write-up is more about the show than the album, but the reason I liked that show was the same reason I love this album.
3. The Killers - Day and Age
I wasn't the biggest fan of the last bit of this album at first, and I'm still not. But I'm just liking the first eight songs more and more. It's too bad that the Killers got to famous and started being billed as the potential world's biggest band, because it plastered them with so many expectations. They're are not and will not be a band that is all things for all people. Just like this album. It's got rock, it's got dance, it's got jazz and who knows what else. But it certainly is not a hit machine in the traditional sense. There's a distinction between musicians who sell albums and musicians who sell songs. Day and Age works better as the full piece, which is not condusive to Big Band-ness. But I like it better that way.
2. Keane - Perfect Symmetry
Sweet, sweet Keane. Even though they are getting bigger, they are still a hidden gem. Keane is catchy and you like them when you first listen to them. Yet people who give this band a whole bunch of listens find more and more treasure each playthrough. Perfect Symmetry was very close to being the best album for me this year. But it does not function well enough on its own. It's missing Under the Iron Sea, just like Under the Iron Sea was missing Perfect Symmetry. Coupling the two together could be the culmatively greatest album of my life, but Under the Iron Sea is a few years to old for me to do that. It would just be unfair.
1. Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends/Prospekt's March EP
However, both of the above albums came out this year, and were coupled in the same collection. Just like Keane's two recent albums, these two together could be culmatively the greatest album of my life. There will always be temptation to say that nothing can top Rush of Blood to the Head, but there would always be the temptation to think my life was awesome in grade 4 when I'm really just forgetting all the hardships that childhood had. There is a sure superior quality to Coldplay's work on these albums. They did a lot of different things, but it still sounds like good ol' Coldplay. Coupled with the new songs on Prospekt's March, this epic is one that I will look back on this album for the rest of my life. Probably listen to it, too.
I'm not fully sure that I first discovered this album in 2008. Even if it was 2007, it was probably close enough to still count. A very memorable rock album that mixes the tried, tested and true with some things I can't quite put my finger on.
5. Radiohead - Kid A
This past summer, I wrote a blog on my Radiohead experiment. The results found OK Computer as their best album. I've changed my mind. Kid A embodies Radiohead better than any other album. Also, I've come to accept that fact that I will never fully understand why Radiohead is the greatest band ever. Unrivaled in musicianship and ingenuity, that's for sure. But they're pushed more to the top because the latter attribute is also what our society holds as the highest virtue.
4. Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards
I went to see the Killers a few weeks ago, and was struck with the most pleasant of surprises - Cold War Kids were also on the bill. Even more surprising was that they looked nothing like the odd-ball rockers I had them pegged for. They were all fairly clean-cut young men, with the lead singer looking like Conan O'Brien. That's always a good thing. And of course the show was awesome, because Cold War Kids does what music is all about - they write, and play good songs. I guess this write-up is more about the show than the album, but the reason I liked that show was the same reason I love this album.
3. The Killers - Day and Age
I wasn't the biggest fan of the last bit of this album at first, and I'm still not. But I'm just liking the first eight songs more and more. It's too bad that the Killers got to famous and started being billed as the potential world's biggest band, because it plastered them with so many expectations. They're are not and will not be a band that is all things for all people. Just like this album. It's got rock, it's got dance, it's got jazz and who knows what else. But it certainly is not a hit machine in the traditional sense. There's a distinction between musicians who sell albums and musicians who sell songs. Day and Age works better as the full piece, which is not condusive to Big Band-ness. But I like it better that way.
2. Keane - Perfect Symmetry
Sweet, sweet Keane. Even though they are getting bigger, they are still a hidden gem. Keane is catchy and you like them when you first listen to them. Yet people who give this band a whole bunch of listens find more and more treasure each playthrough. Perfect Symmetry was very close to being the best album for me this year. But it does not function well enough on its own. It's missing Under the Iron Sea, just like Under the Iron Sea was missing Perfect Symmetry. Coupling the two together could be the culmatively greatest album of my life, but Under the Iron Sea is a few years to old for me to do that. It would just be unfair.
1. Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends/Prospekt's March EP
However, both of the above albums came out this year, and were coupled in the same collection. Just like Keane's two recent albums, these two together could be culmatively the greatest album of my life. There will always be temptation to say that nothing can top Rush of Blood to the Head, but there would always be the temptation to think my life was awesome in grade 4 when I'm really just forgetting all the hardships that childhood had. There is a sure superior quality to Coldplay's work on these albums. They did a lot of different things, but it still sounds like good ol' Coldplay. Coupled with the new songs on Prospekt's March, this epic is one that I will look back on this album for the rest of my life. Probably listen to it, too.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Top 6 Albums of 2008
1. Crystal Castles - Self Titled
2. Fleet Foxes - Self Titled
3. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
4. Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
5. Hercules and Love Affair - Self Titled
6. Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
2. Fleet Foxes - Self Titled
3. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
4. Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
5. Hercules and Love Affair - Self Titled
6. Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
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